Blackberries
by Caitie Manda
Summary: Lina went into the forest to gather herbs and other things for medical treatments for the doctor, but she strays from the path back homeward to pick a few blackberries. What could possibly go wrong? LM/DH pairing. AU, set after DoD.
1. Chapter 1: Blackberries

He waited patiently and quietly in the bushes for the girl. She came around this part of the forest around the same time every day to gather blackberries. The man smirked and popped one into his mouth, the darkly colored juice staining his fingers and lips. He licked it away, and settled himself in the grass. She would be an easy catch.

She was lean and fit, a healthy teenager overall, about the age of seventeen or eighteen, and had a perfect figure with curves in all the right places. Her long, dark brown hair was light and bouncy looking and her brown eyes completed the picture of innocence; the man could hardly keep himself still just thinking about the girl. Even a man like himself, who drifted about from here to there, could stop for a while to think about a woman. No, he did not picture himself being with the woman for long. But, the time he did picture, however, was just long enough for him. Then he'd be gone to the wind yet again.

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><p>Lina Mayfleet grabbed her basket. Mrs. Murdo didn't need blackberries today, because they had plenty now, so Lina was instead sent to gather herbs and roots that the doctor didn't grow herself. "And be quick about it," Mrs. Murdo repeated for the five millionth time, "because it'll get dark soon. If you stay out at night-"<p>

"I know, I know," Lina rolled her eyes, laughing, "I could get myself into 'some real trouble'. I've heard this speech before."

"I just want to make sure that you don't forget it, Lina." Mrs. Murdo said. Lina nodded as Mrs. Murdo looked her up and down one last time, "Now go!" Lina dashed out the front door. She flew down the little dirt road that wound itself up and into the forest.

Lina gathered the things she was told and began to make her way out of the forest. The blackberries came to her mind, suddenly. Lina, for some reason or another, felt compelled to pick fresh ones. They could be for herself for once, she reasoned, and she could even bring some to Doon and his father and Mr. Pocket. So, she turned off her path and ran to the blackberry clearing. She wanted to do it quickly so Mrs. Murdo wouldn't get worried.

Lina was in such a hurry that she hadn't noticed the strange shadow watching her through the brush, getting closer to her. Lina plucked five more and began to count. She set her basket down and sat cross-legged in the grass, her blackberries in front of her. "One," she said, picking them up one by one and setting them down in a different place so she wouldn't keep counting the same ones again, "two, three…"

The man was right behind her. Lina heard a rustle from behind and jumped up. She wasn't quick enough to turn around, however. Two strong arms wrapped themselves around her in a tight, unbreakable grip, and a large hand covered her mouth. "Hello, beautiful." The man hissed into her ear. Lina stood rigid as a board. She didn't make a sound. "Now, you do exactly what I say, and no one gets hurt."

Lina wanted to see this man. She wanted to know who was trying to do whatever this was to her. She was angry and scared at the same time; so much, in fact, that she didn't know which emotion was stronger. She decided quickly that it was fear. She shook her head up and down.

"Good." The man chuckled. "I'm going to let you go, and if you scream or make any other sound that'll bring attention to you then I'll kill you right here."Lina nodded stiffly. The hand dropped and Lina whipped around. She didn't recognize this man. He was straggly and gruff looking, wearing dirty and dingy clothes. Lina's nose crinkled in disgust as he breathed on her face, flashing yellowed teeth and horrible smelling breath, "Get undressed."

"Wh-what?" Lina whispered unbelievably.

"You heard me. Do or die." He threatened. Tears began to blur her vision as her shaky hands began to unbutton her blouse. She was truly afraid now. Lina wished she hadn't wanted the blackberries. She should have done what Mrs. Murdo had told her and gone straight home. Now look where she was.

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><p>Doon walked to Doctor Hester's house to see Lina. These days, he visited often. He could instantly tell things weren't right when he saw the trail of blackberry juice in the shape of footprints that had dragged through the dirt. They were about the same size as Lina's. He could tell that something was wrong. Doon sprinted the rest of the way to the house.<p> 


	2. Chapter 2: Doon's Promise

The first thing that Lina registered when she had come home was hearing screaming. A high pitched, drawn out wail of misery. That's when she realized that it was her own. Mrs. Murdo rushed to Lina's side. When Lina looked up at her with lifeless eyes, she dropped the basket. The herbs and other plant things fell out of the basket and rolled, dropped, or flew across the floor. Lina collapsed onto the sofa. "Lina!" Mrs. Murdo was shaking Lina roughly by the shoulders, "What has happened to you?"

Doon burst into the door and stood there panting for a moment. "Lina…" he gasped out, "I heard…you…scream…" Mrs. Murdo looked up at him from her place by Lina.

"You need to leave, Doon." She said sternly, "Lina needs to be alone just now."

"Oh," Doon said. He looked at Lina and then out the door and back again. She looked as if she had died but was still living. Her soul, it seemed, had been snuffed out. He turned to go.

"Doon," Lina whispered, "stay." Doon looked at Mrs. Murdo.

"Fine," she sighed, "I need to finish making dinner."

"I'll stay with her." Doon said. Mrs. Murdo left the room. Doon took her place kneeling by Lina's side. She stared at the ceiling, unmoving, lifeless, and dull. "Lina," Doon squeezed her hand gently, "you can tell me what happened. You can trust me."

Lina didn't move. "I…" she murmured so quietly that Doon could almost not make her words out, "in the forest…"

"When you were gathering things for the doctor?" Doon inquired, trying to help her into saying what she meant. She nodded slowly, a tear sliding down her face.

"There was…" she paused, "a man."

"What about this man?" Doon questioned.

"He said…" Lina's voice trembled, "he would..kill me…if I did not obey…"

"What did he do to you?" Doon asked, hatred filling him towards this man. He was getting angrier by the minute.

"He…" Lina's voice became even more hushed as she finished, "raped me."

"HE WHAT?" Doon half-yelled, forcing himself to keep quiet. The tears kept coming. It did not change anything. Lina was still just the same. Numb.

"Lina," Doon whispered, sitting on the couch where she could easily see him, "I'm so sorry." She nodded once. Doon reached over and wiped her tears with his thumb. "It'll all get better soon, I promise. You'll see." Doon could only hope that this was a promise he could keep.


	3. Chapter 3: Underneath the Apple Tree

Doon came around to visit Lina more than once a day. In fact, usually he'd come in the mornings and stay all afternoon and leave in the evenings. Lina wasn't really feeling better just yet, but she was getting there. The process would take a long time, possibly months or years. Doon wanted to do it though. He wanted to restore the old Lina. He would stay with her until he was sure that the Lina he'd grown up with was back.

The two sat underneath the apple tree side by side. Lina was feeling a bit tired all of a sudden, and Doon could sense it after hearing her yawn a couple of times. "You can rest your head on my lap, if you want to." Doon said, stretching out his legs.

"Okay." Lina said softly. She lay down on her back with her head on his lap, facing up at the treetop and the sky and Doon's face. Doon rested his arms behind him, leaning back on his palms and resting his back against the tree trunk. He closed his eyes as a breeze cooled his warm face. He felt at peace here.

He reached up and picked a bright green apple from a low-hanging branch on the tree. Doon took a bite. The apple was crunchy on the outside, and juicy and a bit tart on the inside. Thinking of Lina, he reached up and picked another. "Apple?" He offered, holding it above her face for her. Her eyes were staring up at something past him. They were so…cold. These were not Lina's eyes. Lina's eyes were full of laughter and happiness. These eyes were unseeing.

"No, thank you." Lina replied. Doon took another bite of his apple.

"C'mon, Lina!" Doon pushed, "You love apples!"

"I used to love a lot of things." Lina countered icily.

"Lina," Doon said seriously, "don't act like you don't care. I know you do, and no matter how much you deny it, you know it too. You don't have the ability _not_ to care."

"Maybe I used to be that way." She continued to look up through the canopy of green summer leaves. The sun shone through them and covered her body and face in small, dappled patches. "I'm different now. I was forced to grow up faster than I should have."

"You are still the same Lina." Doon frowned, sighing. "The old you is still in there somewhere, behind this wall you've built around yourself."

"You're wrong." She whispered.

"No," Doon argued softly, "you'll see…eventually…"

"It's no use!" Lina shouted, bolting upright. "I'm different now, okay? I'm never going to be the same Lina I was!" She stood and stomped angrily back to her house. Doon shook his head. She wasn't right; Doon was sure of it. He could make her who she was. He wouldn't break his promise.

**Author's Note**

_Okay, so this chapter was REALLY short…the next chapter should definitely be interesting to you, I hope. So far, there's not a single review. That's okay because I'm sure reviews will come in time. Thank you for reading this chapter and future chapters to come! Hang in there and please review!_

_Arigato! _

_Caitie Manda_


	4. Chapter 4: In the Dark of the Night

Lina's eyes flew open and she sat up. She was sweating and huffing after the nightmare she'd had. Lina had been having nightmares every night since that day in the forest two months ago. It was now the middle of July. Her and Poppy's shared room was dark because of outside. Her eyes darted to the window and she shivered in fight, her sweat instantly seeming to evaporate into the air. There was a shadow outside of the window that Lina could see through the curtains. She didn't dare to move. The man, she just knew, was right outside waiting for her.

There was a tapping at the window. She could hear her name being said quietly from the other side of the glass. "Lina," a familiar voice called. It was a voice that was friendly and calming to her ears. She sighed with relief and got out of her bed. Poppy was fast asleep on a separate little bed on the other side of the room, and Lina had to tiptoe past her to the window. All Lina was wearing was night shorts and a tanktop, and her hair was pulled back into a messy ponytail. She moved the curtains out of the way, unlatched and carefully slid up the window.

"Doon," She whispered, "is that you?"

"Yeah." Doon's voice replied. "Come on out here."

"How?" Lina asked, "I can't just go through the house, or Mrs. Murdo will hear the door."

"Then climb out the window." Doon suggested.

"Climb out the window?" Lina repeated.

"I'll help you." Doon said.

"Okay." Lina swung one leg out the window, and Doon took hold of her hands to keep her steady. She swung the other leg out and dropped down into the grass. She felt it between her toes. She had forgotten to get some shoes. Fortunately for her, there were some old rubber boots by the shed that she slipped her small feet into.

"Follow me." Doon murmured. Lina followed his pale silhouette in the moonlight. He led her to the river. The quarter moon shone on the water, and it glittered faintly in the milky light. "Now close your eyes and give me your hands."

"Why should I?" Lina hissed, instantly growing defensive. Truth be told, she was nervous.

"Do you trust me?" Doon questioned. Lina nodded slowly. "Then close your eyes and give me your hands." Lina's eyelids fluttered closed and she allowed Doon's hands to wrap around her own. He led her a little ways farther in this way. Finally, he let her hands go. "Without opening your eyes," Doon instructed, "sit down." She sat. Lina heard Doon sit in front of her. "Open your eyes."

She opened them and was greeted by something beautiful. Little golden lights floated all about around them, moving this way and that. Some twinkled and blinked and some were brighter than others, but the affect had Lina completely awestruck. She reached her hand out to touch one, but it darted quickly from her reach. "What," Lina asked, "are they?" The small golden circles of light reflected in her eyes as she watched them.

"They are called 'fireflies'." Doon explained, pleased with himself, "I read about them in a book."

"So they are a type of bug, then?" Lina questioned in amazement.

"Yep." Doon replied. "Their bottoms light up at night."

"It's beautiful…" Lina whispered.

"See?" Doon said. "You are the same." Lina shook her head vigorously, but she did not want to argue. She looked over at Doon. He lay on his back, looking up at the stars. Lina, still sitting up, looked upward. The little white, twinkling lights in the sky were bright tonight. There were so, so many…

Lina lay down in the grass, too. She gazed up at the sky. She used to figure out how to make patterns and pictures from many of them, but not now. The only thing she could see in the stars now was _him_. The man who haunted her nightmares ever since that day. She closed her eyes so she wouldn't have to see that face anymore.

"Lina." Doon whispered.

"Hmm?"

"Can you see that?" Lina figured he was pointing at something in the sky, so she opened her eyes. She could see his hand easily under the glow of the fireflies.

"Uh…" She looked in the direction his finger was pointed. "yeah, I guess…"

"Don't know what you're looking for?" Doon asked, chuckling.

"I can't see anything, Doon." Lina mumbled.

"Sure you can!" Doon smiled, "You remember, don't you? You called those stars over there 'the bluebird', and those over there, I'm not sure how well you can see them from there, but you named them-"

"Doon!" Lina scowled, sitting up. "I'm not who I used to be, okay? When will that ever get into that thick head of yours? I don't want to look at the stars, or anything else except the back of my eyelids because the only thing that I can think about or see is _him_, alright?" Doon was startled into silence. "I don't really even want to sleep, because the only thing I see in my dreams is that horrible day in the forest! But you wouldn't know. It didn't happen to you. You wouldn't understand what it feels like." Lina turned her back on him and stood up, walking away.

Doon jumped to his feet and grabbed Lina's hand. She turned to face him, surprised by his sudden gesture, but still angry. "I want to understand, Lina," Doon said softly, his brown eyes focused on the girl in front of him, "but you won't let me."

"Because…" Lina's eyes were locked with his intense gaze, and her vision was blurring with tears, "it's hard for me…"

Doon pulled her to his chest and wrapped his arms around her back. "I'm here for you. I want to help you, but you have to try to help me out a little." Lina's tears were coming quickly, beginning to soak into Doon's shirt and wetting his skin. He gently took hold of the end of her ponytail and tugged lightly at it, forcing her face to go upwards. Doon looked down into her watery eyes for a moment, then leaned down and kissed her.

Lina's arms slowly wrapped around his neck. The kiss was sweet, soft, and, unfortunately, short. Lina pulled back to look at him and ran her fingers through his hair. "I'll try." She whispered, "But you…" she began to get closer to his face again, "really…" her forehead touched his, "should have…" her lips were merely centimeters from his when she breathed, "done this sooner." Her lips closed the gap once again, and the two were lip-locked once again.

Doon reached up and took her hands, interlacing his fingers between hers at their sides. He released them and put his hands around her small waist, pulling her even closer to him. The kiss that they shared now seemed urgent; like the two of them had the desperate need for the other to know how much love they felt. Lina's hands were at the nape of his neck once again, and, after a good five minutes, the two finally surfaced for air.

They fell onto their back on the grass, laughing softly beside each other. Lina rolled onto her stomach, and swung one leg over Doon's waist and steadied herself by putting her palms in the grass on either side of his head. She was on all fours over him, and Lina slowly leaned in for another kiss. Doon met her readily. And thus, underneath the stars and moon and the light of the joyous fireflies, a new love, bursting with adolescence and raw emotion was born.


	5. Chapter 5: Back in Time

Lina's eyes fluttered open, and her vision was instantly met by a plain white wall. She sighed and rolled out of bed. Poppy's bed was unoccupied; the bedclothes were smooth and folded, evidence that Poppy had awoken already. Poppy always made her bed in the mornings as soon as she woke up, if not only a few minutes after.

Lina stretched for a moment and reached up to pull out the rubber band holding her hair up in a ponytail. Her brown hair fell around her in long waves, and it skirted her body as she spun around on her heels to get to her miniscule closet. The doors slid open and she pulled out a simple cream colored blouse with a pretty flower design on it and a pair of shorts. She slipped into these clothes and pulled a pair of sandals onto her feet, then made her way to her bedroom door.

Lina's face grew bright red as soon as she saw the old, faded yellow rubber boots sitting next to the window. She had an instant recollection of what had happened that night; oh, sweet bliss! She had never shared kisses as sweet or passionate as the ones she had with Doon. Lina could vividly remember falling asleep beside Doon, her thin tanktop and shorts damp from the dewy grass beneath her. Doon had shed his jacket, only wearing a T-shirt and jeans.

Lina rolled into his arms, falling asleep in his warm, caring embrace and feeling a sense of security that had been deprived of her not too long ago. She had drifted off in this way, and her dreams, for the first time in months, were filled to the brim with happiness and joy. The sole object of her dreams was depicted in every single one. Doon. Lina almost felt that the night had been a dream itself, but the images of Doon and herself that flashed before her mind's eye made it clear that it was not.

She began braiding her hair, tying the end with a length of string, as she walked to the kitchen. Mrs. Murdo was serving eggs and buttered toast, accompanied by strawberry jelly, as she sat at the table. This was an extremely different meal than what she was used to. She sipped her lemonade from a glass cup.

Poppy sat directly across from Lina and Torren was at her left; the three were seated at a small, square table with a chair on each side. Lina was close to being nineteen now, her birthday only a month away. Poppy was nine now, and Torren was fourteen. "Well," Mrs. Murdo smiled, looking at Lina, "you seem to be in a good mood today."

"I have a feeling that it's going to be a good day." Lina returned, thanking Mrs. Murdo as she scraped scrambled eggs onto the porcelain plate in front of Lina. She reached toward the middle of the table and swiped two pieces of toast off the pile, along with some jelly. She smoothed it out onto one golden, crisp piece and began to eat.

"Me too." Poppy piped up, taking a large gulp of orange juice. Lina smiled warmly and finished up her breakfast. As she stood up, she heard a knock at the door.

"I'll get it!" Torren shouted, jumping up and running to the door. Lina knew before the door even opened who it would be. "Oh," Torren said from the room beside the kitchen, "hi Doon!"

"Hi." Doon replied. He said something quieter that Lina couldn't hear.

"Oh, sure." Torren said. He came back to the kitchen and looked at Lina, "Doon's outside."

"'kay." Lina said. She grabbed another piece of toast, spread some jam onto it, and placed it carefully on the counter. She snatched a peach, a pear, and a glass jar and lid as well and set them by the toast. Lina carefully poured some juice into the jar, screwed on the lid, and wrapped the food up in a cloth and carried it out to Doon for breakfast. "I'll be back later!" Lina said as she closed the door.

"Hey," Doon greeted her as she stepped outside, "how are you this morning?"

"Very good." Lina smiled. "Oh, and these are for you." She handed him the bundle and they walked hand-in-hand toward the apple tree. Doon untied the ends of the cloth and examined its contents.

"Thanks, Lina!" He said cheerfully, popping the toast into his mouth.

"You're welcome." Lina laid her head on his shoulder and rested her side against his. Doon finished the pear and took a bite of the peach.

"This is delicious." Doon praised, "You have to try this peach." Lina laughed lightheartedly and lifted her head.

"Feed it to me?" She asked. Doon smiled and put it to her lips. Lina took a small bite. Sweet juice rushed into her mouth, washing over her tongue and teeth and down her throat as she chewed.

"Well?" Doon cocked one eyebrow.

"That was the best peach I've ever tasted." They both sat together and laughed, and then they really looked at each other for the first time since that night.

"I love you, Lina Elizabeth Mayfleet." Doon whispered, brushing a few stray hairs from Lina's face. Lina's cheeks grew red.

"I love you, too, D-" Doon took her face and pulled her lips up to his, cutting her off. Their lips met harshly at first, but it softened. Lina brushed Doon's cheek with her palm, tracing the curves of his jaw with gentle fingers as their lips were entwined.

Doon pulled back and they both drew air for a moment. Lina stood up and Doon stood, too. She reached on her tip-toes and plucked an apple. "I might need to replace the one I took." She explained quietly. Doon nodded. She put it down slowly and drew herself back up. Lina pulled Doon to her within an instant, and looked up at him with questioning eyes. Doon leaned down and kissed her forehead lightly.

"There's something that we have to do." Doon said.

"Okay," Lina raised an eyebrow, seeing his expression. It was sad but determined. "let's go, then."

"Do you trust me?"

"With my life." Doon took Lina by the hand and began to lead her onto a familiar dirt path.

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><p><em>It was a warm (not too hot, not too cold) afternoon. Lina held her basket in her hands as she streamed down the path. She was in shock. Her shoes were stained dark purple with blackberry juice. Her soul felt tainted, too, like her once white shoes. She left a trail of blackberry juice with each uneven, unsteady step. She couldn't tell if she was running or walking.<em>

_She stumbled and fell a few times. There were a few small scratches on her arms and face and legs. She realized that she was running. She wanted to run. She wanted to get as far away from it all as possible. She momentarily was disconnected from all sounds. All that filled her mind was the constant "THUMP! THUMP!" of her heart and nothing more._

_She wanted, more than anything else at that moment, to die. She wanted to fall into the deep, dark abyss in the Unknown Regions in Ember. She wanted to drown in the river. The point was, she wanted to be __**anywhere**__ but here. _

_Here, at the place where she had once felt so safe. Here, where she had once been awestruck by so many wonders. Now, nothing mattered. __**Here**__, this place where she was, didn't matter. Now she wanted to be anywhere else._

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><p>They stood in front of the forest. "Please don't." Lina begged.<p>

"You have to," Doon replied, "or else you'll never fully be able to get over it."

"Doon," Lina spun around to face him and grabbed him by his shoulders. "_please_." Doon shook his head stubbornly.

"Do you trust me?"

"Well, yes, but-"

"Lina." Doon interrupted her. She looked into his eyes. "Do you trust me or not?"

"I do, it's just that…"

"Do you or don't you?"

"I…" Lina looked deeper into his eyes. "I do." She finally choked out.

"Then come on." Doon pulled her by the hand again. "I won't let anything happen to you this time."

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><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>

_Ah, that's a cliffy, huh? I hope I got ya, 'cause you'll be stuck here until I get at least five reviews. I know that it's kind of a cruel bargain, but I'm only asking for three more! Come on, it won't be that hard…PLEASE REVIEW!_

_Arigato! :3_

_Caitie Manda_


	6. Chapter 6: Clearing

Lina took deep breaths, trying to slow down her racing heartbeats. She released Doon's hand as the cover of trees began to thin out. The clearing was drawing nearer with every step. Lina was scared, and on top of that, her legs were shaking. Every fiber of her being screamed, "_Don't go! Turn back now!", _but Lina forced herself to ignore it. Doon was determined to help her; 'a man with a mission', one might say. He wanted to protect Lina, and allow her the time and space that she needed to get over the traumatic event that had caused her life to fall apart before her eyes.

Doon pushed a branch out of their way and stepped through. "Come on, Lina." He said. Lina hesitantly followed. She was on the brink of following her conscience, ready to turn back and flee from the clearing, however, she would not allow herself to oblige to her cowardice's need to escape. Lina's mind instantly snapped as soon as she stepped through the foliage and into the clearing.

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><p><em>Lina looked helplessly at the pile of her clothing on the ground. She was slammed up against tree by the hairy man, her bare back rubbing on the trunk's bark. "Please…" she whispered, "let me go. I swear I won't tell anyone…" The man only gave her a sadistic grin in reply, showing once more two rows of twisted, crooked yellow teeth. He picked up her hand and began kissing her all the way up her arm, over her shoulder, up her neck, and across her cheek.<em>

_Lina shifted uncomfortably and jerked her head away hard, pulling away from him. The man smirked; he always liked a challenge. Tears swam into her eyes and poured out onto her face as she shook her head to and fro stubbornly. The man took hold of her shoulders and forced her to look at him. His face was so close to Lina's that she could feel his bushy beard tickling her face. She tried to look anywhere but into his black, beady eyes but her attempts were unsuccessful._

_He took her face roughly in his hands and twisted her head around to look at him. "Stop struggling, girl, it will only get you hurt." Lina nodded stiffly. Her body quaked with red-hot rage, but quaked with fear at the same time._

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><p>Lina stumbled backwards and she fell into the grass. The entire scene was unfolding right before her eyes. Doon took a step towards her, and as Lina looked up at him, she forgot who he was in an instant. "Please," she begged, scooting backwards away from him, "just leave me alone."<p>

"Lina, stop running away from me." Doon said softly, reaching out for her.

"No!" she wailed, her tears beginning to trickle quickly down her face, "I promise I won't tell! Just please don't hurt me!"

"Lina," Doon said in a calm but firm voice, "I would never hurt you." Lina's back hit a tree, but her feet still scrambled to push herself from the teenager in front of her. Doon knelt down slowly in front of her. Lina's blue eyes locked with his brown ones, and the warmth and sincerity in his gaze slowly melted through the memory.

"D-Doon…" She whispered, reaching out with a shaky hand in his direction, "I'm so sorry…" She pulled her knees up to her chest and her body shook with sobs. Doon moved closer to her and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her to him. He rubbed her arms and back reassuringly and waited patiently for her to let it all out. "Why," Lina mumbled into his chest after a while, "did you want to help me?"

"Because you needed me." Doon replied quietly.

"What gave you that impression?" Lina continued.

"You were lost, and I figured that I might help you find your way again." Lina looked up as soon as he'd finished.

"I have found my way." She said softly, brushing his hair from his face, "But I would never have been able to without you. Thank y-" Doon placed a finger on her lips.

"Shhh…" He put the palm of his other hand on the nape of her neck and as he slowly began to lean down to meet her lips, he dropped his other hand and wrapped it around one of her own. "No thanks is necessary…" he whispered before he kissed her.

Lina allowed herself to be enveloped in his warmth and his love. She embraced him in a way she had embraced no other, and she finally let him break through the protective walls around her heart. But really, he didn't need to break the locks to get to her; she had long ago given him the key. Her fingers wound themselves into his hair, and she deepened the kiss. He pulled her as close to him as possible and held her in a gentle, protective grip.

She was _his_ Lina, and he was _her_ Doon. With him, that one afternoon seemed to be a dream. Doon had a way of erasing all of her worries and cares from her mind. Love filled every broken piece of her soul; she was overcome by it. The swelling in her chest seemed too much, and Lina feared it would burst, but it did not. It only grew with each passing moment. Time slowed itself to a stop in the clearing, and the two made an unspoken promise to each other. _Forever,_ their love seemed to whisper, _forever and always._

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><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>

_Well, I hate to say it, but that is the end! I hope that you liked it! Was it what you expected it would be? Please review and tell me what you think!_

_Arigato! :3_

_Caitie Manda_


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